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Tiebreaker goes to Stars girls at Kenai River Challenge

The Soldotna girls basketball squad won a four-team tiebreaker to secure the Kenai River Challenge championship Saturday at Kenai Central High School.SoHi, Kenai Central, Galena and Mt. Edgecumbe each finished 2-1 in the round-robin tournament, but SoHi took top honors because it allowed the fewest total points. Kenai Central placed second.“It would have been a little bit more exciting if we had won it outright, but that’s the way it goes,” SoHi coach Doug Blossom said. “All three days, the squad played great. I really can’t complain.”Galena defeated SoHi 51-49 on Saturday on the strength of long-distance shooting. The Hawks downed nine 3-pointers in the victory.Shaina Burley had 12 points on four 3-pointers to lead the charge. Jenna Buchanen pitched in 12 points for the Hawks in a game that was tied after the second and third quarters.Kelci Benson had 15 points for the Stars, while Kaillee Skjold had 11 and Heidi Westerman added 10.Although the Stars committed just seven turnovers, Blossom said the team had a rough shooting day.“We were just cold,” the coach said. “They were playing hard, they were doing everything right, the shots just didn’t go in.”Mt. Edgecumbe topped Kenai on Saturday 42-35 to put give the Kardinals their lone loss. The Braves led after each quarter.Brandi Hale had 13 points for Mt. Edgecumbe, while Marian Martin had 10. For the Kardinals, Morgan Wensley had 13 points.“I’m thankful that we came out 2-1,” Kenai Central coach Stacia Rustad said. “I believe we became better over the weekend and gained some of the confidence we needed.”Also Saturday, Nikiski picked up its first win of the tournament by keeping Bethel winless in a 38-31 game.Savannah Griffel paced the Bulldogs with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Dylan Holloway added 10 points. For Bethel, Kira Polk and Rebecca Brink had eight points apiece.SoHi, Mt. Edgecumbe and Kenai picked up victories Friday.SoHi blew out Bethel 76-30 to stay unbeaten. Benson had 20 points, including six 3-pointers. Julie Litchfield had 18 points, while Skjold had 17 points. For Bethel, Kira Polk had 14 points.Mt. Edgecumbe notched a 52-35 victory over Nikiski. The Braves got their first victory of the tournament, while the Bulldogs remained winless. Scarlet Beaver had 13 points for Mt. Edgecumbe, while Brandi Hale added 10. For the Bulldogs, Holloway pumped in 11 points.Kenai also stayed perfect at the tournament by beating Galena 35-32. The Kards led 16-10 at halftime and 29-21 after three quarters.Wensley had 14 points for the Kards, who were 16 of 19 from the line. Jenna Buchanan had 13 points for the Hawks.